Riding these great horses is what all jockeys yearn for, it gives us the the
chance to perform on the biggest stages and we love it.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the pressure of riding a great horse and, in particular, what Sam Twiston-Davies might be feeling when he rides Big Buck’s for the first time today.

There’s a story, either apocryphal or embellished I am not sure which, that in 1992, just before the Cheltenham Festival, Jamie Osborne picked up a hatful of good spare rides from Richard Dunwoody. On the Monday before the big meeting at Plumpton, Richard gave Jamie a cassette in an envelope, which he said Jamie must not play until he was on his way to Cheltenham.

It was, Jamie discovered before he had got out of Lambourn, Queen’s 'Under Pressure’ on a 90-minute loop. After winning three of the first four races, two of them on Dunwoody discards, on the first day, Jamie returned to the weighing room, chucked his saddle down, and said: “Well, Woody, that’s working well!”

I have not encountered that sort of stuff, but I dare say Sam will be sick of people telling him to just 'go out and enjoy himself’ by the time he gets on Big Buck’s, but this is the type of pressure all jockeys crave, the pressure of riding great horses. Of course he will have butterflies, but he only has to ask himself would he prefer that or would he prefer to be watching from the stands. Part of the pressure is that everyone is expecting the horse to win, but he must remember that the worst thing that can happen is that he gets beat.

He is very lucky to be in that position – at his age I was still mucking out for Jim Bolger. My view is that pressure is a privilege.

I feel pressure every day. It is only pressure that I put on myself, but I would expect all professional sportspeople to feel pressure to perform their best whenever they are at work.

I get butterflies before going out to ride every day, but they disappear as soon as I am on a horse and I think that is the same for most jockeys. Then is just down to the you and the horse, and there is a certain freedom in that.

If you ask most trainers who have ridden which pressure is greater; watching your horse or riding it, they will tell you it is harder watching it because you have no control over what happens. If that is right, no matter how many big races he has seen, it is Paul Nicholls who will be feeling the pressure this afternoon much more than Sam.

Amore Alato should be worth the wait

I hope Goodwood Mirage (12.40) can get my day off to a good start at Cheltenham, but fear this is a hot race. He was inexperienced when winning on his debut and will come on a lot for that and will need to.

Samingarry (1.15) has won his last two and I like horses which are in the habit of winning. He prefers better ground and is probably an each-way shot. Tap Night (1.50) has been a bitter disappointment this season, while I think the big step up in class might be a little too much for Madness Light (3.00).

At Fishers Cross (3.35) would have to be at his best to give Big Buck’s a run for his money. His poor hurdling has cost him dearly this season. I have schooled him and he jumped well so we are just hoping for some improvement. Amore Alato (4.10) is progressing and will love the ground. He might well send me home with a winner.

Tomorrow I am at Leopardstown where my two principal rides are Defy Logic (1.30) and Jezki (2.35) and I would like to think they both have chances of winning.